The NRL has forced Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart to put $10,000 in the 'swear jar', admitting "language" had contributed to his latest fine for criticising refereeing.

The NRL issued the Raiders a breach notice on Wednesday after Stuart described the officiating as ''shit'', ''laughable", "poor" and "not at the standard of first grade" following Sunday's 26-20 loss to Penrith.

Stuart has now been fined $105,000 over the duration of his NRL coaching career, which began in 2002, resulting from nine separate incidents.

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But Raiders and Panthers players will escape any penalties, despite a number of far worse obscenities being heard via the referee microphones during the television broadcast of the match.

The Raiders are expected to decide overnight whether to fight Stuart's fine, although they have five days to lodge an appeal.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart fined $10,000 Photo: Jeffrey Chan

Stuart was heavily critical of the refereeing performances of Gavin Badger and Grant Atkins on Sunday, but it was widely tipped he would escape a fine on this occasion because he'd criticised decisions rather than the integrity of the individual referees.

But a slip of the tongue, where Stuart referred to "shit refereeing" before correcting himself and saying "poor refereeing decisions", appears to have been a big part of his downfall.

NRL head of football Todd Greenberg said the NRL had a duty to protect match officials against excessive criticism or comments which attacked their integrity. He also addressed the foul-language.

“Coaches have every right to comment on the refereeing of a match and to be critical of particular decisions,” Mr Greenberg said.

“But those comments should not be excessive or damage the image of the game – and that is what has happened in this case. We have to take a stand against this kind of commentary or it will open the door for coaches to do the same thing week after week. And that is not in the best interests of the game.”

Stuart contacted referees boss Tony Archer on Monday.

In particular, Stuart was seething about Raiders back-rower Shaun Fensom being denied a crucial try in the second half.

Badger reversed a penalty against Canberra's David Shillington for reacting to an elbow from Penrith's James Segeyaro, but did not award the try that was scored from the ensuing play.

Stuart was also critical of two penalties against Raiders centre Jarrod Croker, where referees ruled he had taken out Panthers players while contesting bombs.

Despite rival captains Terry Campese and Peter Wallace being heard on the live telecast using "F" and "C" words, no players face sanctions.

A NRL spokesman said it was the audible swearing was a responsibility of the broadcaster, Fox Sports.

The spokesman also said it was a "different environment" to a live press conference, with referees able to immediately penalise players on the field for any language they felt was offensive.

34 comments so far

Gotta love the NRL. Teams continue to cop third rate decisions from referees that frequently cost them wins and the most the NRL ever does-if they do anything-is to stand the fools down for a week or so whilst the object of their incompetence still lose the points. Stuart probably shouldn't have used such colourful language but I can certainly understand why he said what he did. Don't wait though for the NRL to actually do anything to fix the continuing problem of these lousy refereeing decisions. That would require the NRL to "grow a pair" and that they will never do!

Commenter

curaeus

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 7:04PM

Yep gotta agree with you....the thing that amazes me is the fact that a lot of these really dodgy refereeing blunders seem to continually happen to the teams down on the bottom of the ladder....it never happens to storm or the broncs but always the battlers....personally I think the whole game is rigged....the cowboys have had some disgraceful decisions handed to them over the years and I wonder if the NRL realize the cowboys fans don't travel and wipe them out come semi time.....it all looks very suspicious to me and has looked that way for years.

Commenter

webby

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 7:54PM

Rubbish. Canberra benefited from the refs as much as they were hurt by them. Stuart when under pressure goes ballistic at a press conference , plays the line about "doing it for the men that are hurting in the dressing room" and cops a fine. Two things he is trying to influence - firstly the refs in the future and secondly trying to ensure the players stay on his side when things get even worse. Keep in mind he has never ever left a club in better shape than when he found it. Canberra will be no different.

Commenter

Mitch

Location

Sydney

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 9:01PM

Totally agree Curaeus. If poor referring continues then people will just stop supporting NRL

Commenter

Maxis

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 10:19PM

Webby, I can imagine there are a lot of Storm and Cowboy fans laughing over their cereal this morning when they read your comments. Both clubs have been copping a disproportionate amount of woeful decisions in big games for years from NRL (NSWRFL) referees in what appears to be a xenophobic approach from the League's masters to ensure non Sydney teams do not succeed. Fortunately both clubs and the Broncos are too well run to let these Sydney based amateurs get their way. Mark my words, someone like Bellamy or Thurston will write an all revealing book when they retire.

Commenter

Brian

Date and time

May 22, 2014, 9:05AM

Do what they do in tennis, each player (or TEAM) gets 3 challenges.

Allow the captain to formally challenge a decision, pause the clock and get a ruling from the video referee.

Commenter

yoda

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 7:35PM

Ricky Stuart is to NRL what Bigmouth Mundine is to BoxingOpinionated, not many marbles working in the brain, mouth that moves faster than a speeding bullet but only delivers crap, both old and past their 'use by date'.

Commenter

Pistol. Pete

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 7:39PM

If Daley looses this Origin Series expect Stuart back. No ifs, no buts. Who else is there?

Commenter

enough is enough

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 10:09PM

Interesting show of what could be considered bias by the NRL here (IMO)

Not that long ago we had Thurston say far worse but escape scot free , just as he did in 2013 and 2012 and yet others are fined. Why?

Commenter

Gaz

Location

Dubbo Way

Date and time

May 21, 2014, 9:54PM

Because he's star player and a protected species. Ricky is a coach at a lower level team that the NRL only cares about because it's a development club. If the Raiders decided to buy teams and damn the consequences like the Storm the NRL would be in a hell of a predicament.